The present invention relates generally to automatic processing machines, and more particularly to an apparatus for controlling cutting fluid of a processing machine.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional general-purpose vertical processing machine is composed of a worktable 1 for fastening a workpiece 2 to be machined, a spindle head 3 fastened with a cutter 4 and driving the cutter 4 vertically to process the workpiece 2, a cutter storage 5 for receiving a plurality of cutters, and a switching arm 6 for switching the cutter 4, and a control device (not shown).
In operation, the control device (not shown) controls the vertical displacement of the cutter 4 and the horizontal displacement of the workpiece 2 by programs, thereby resulting in automatic processing and merchandise in precise size. Cutting fluid is supplied through a tube 7, which outlet faces a cutting end of the cutter 4 and a to-be-machined surface of the workpiece 2, for cooling the cutter and cleaning chips. However, when the workpiece 2 to be machined is varied in height or a cutting center is reset in light of switching a cutter, a position, at which the machined surface of the workpiece 2 is contacted by the cutting end of the cutter 4, is varied in height. Accordingly, a user has to reset the outlet of the tube 7 to face the position at which the cutting end of the cutter 4 and the machined surface of the workpiece 2 contact with each other, thereby resulting in effective cooling and cleaning. If the outlet of the tube 7 is not reset to face the aforesaid position in time, the cutter 4 will be easily damaged as a result of overheating while the cutter 4 and the workpiece 2 chafes with each other. Therefore, the user has to frequently stand by the processing machine to reset the tube 7 and the manpower is thereby wasted.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for controlling cutting fluid of a processing machine, which is capable of automatically resetting an angle at which the cutting fluid spouts by control of logic programs.
The foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by the apparatus for controlling the cutting fluid of the processing machine. The apparatus is composed of a cylindrical rotor, a power source for driving said rotor to rotate, a control mechanism, and a processor. The rotor has a main passage inside extending along a longitudinal axle thereof and at least one branch passage in communication with the main passage. The main passage has an end in communication with a cutting fluid supply loop of the processing machine and the other end closed. The control mechanism has an encoding device and at least one sensor. The encoding device is mounted on the rotor and moves along with the rotor. The sensor is fixed at a fixed position corresponding to the encoding device. The processor has a built-in control serial code and is capable of ordering the power source to drive the rotor to rotate based on the built-in control serial code. Once the sensor detects a code from the encoding device identical to the built-in control serial code when the processor orders the power source to drive the rotor to rotate based on the built-in control serial code, the power source is ordered by the processor to stop said rotor at a predetermined angle corresponding to the built-in serial code.